The invention relates to a utensil-holder for supporting a cooking utensil on a cooking surface. In this respect, cook stoves on moving vehicles are often bounced about and, during stormy weather seagoing vessels are often tossed at sea. Hence, in such instances, it is difficult to cook as the pots and pans placed on a stove top or grill tend to fall. Moreover, cooks in such instances are often severely burned by the contents of cook pots and the like. Hence, it is important to be sure that such utensils do not move about on such stoves or grills. Accordingly, the instant invention provides a utensil holder that securely holds a cooking utensil, such as a pot, on the cooking surface during such bouncing and turbulence. In this manner the contents of the utensils are retained therein and the attending cooks are not burned.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,189 to Oatley discloses a safety device for cooker hobs employing a ring adapted to closely encircle a pan. Such a device cannot accommodate various pan sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,708 to Christian discloses a magnetic holder for pots and pans comprising a pair of magnetic sheets having a concave edge. One sheet is placed on each side of the pot with the concave edge facing inwardly to engage the periphery of the pot. Such a holder, however, is not satisfactory for stove tops having a grate over the cooking area as the holder may not be in proper engagement with the pot. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a magnetic utensil-holder that does not require significant modifications of the stove with which it is to be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,176 to Spiers et al. discloses a self-leveling cooking device. A pair of standards 10 and 12 are detachably mounted upon a flat surface, such as that indicated at 14 by securing means such as screws 16. The flat surface 14 may be a stove top. Pot holder 30 is pivotably mounted to the standards 10 and 12 so as to keep pots 38 held therein level.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,116 to Finnstrand discloses a utensil holder. Gallery stove 10 has a pair of utensil holders 11,12 attached to the base plate of the stove top by means of a horizontal flange 15a and a plurality of screws. Arms 13,14 are adjusted to surround the cooking utensil.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,645,466 to Westlake discloses a stove tong attached to a stove-top A. Stove tongs on base-plate B may be attached and removed from the top of the stove by means of screw bolts f,f as occasion requires.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to create an improved utensil-holder that is simple to manufacture, but still protects the cook from burns or other injury by preventing the utensil from sliding off of its burner.
An advantage of the invention is that its non magnetic embodiments may be used with stove tops upon which magnetic securing means will not operate.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it may be easily removed from the stove top when not needed.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it is capable of accommodating various cooking utensil sizes. Moreover, several devices of the invention can be hooked together so that they can assist each other in maintaining stability; and, one embodiment of the invention is operative to also prevent accompanying pot lids from sliding off.